


I Will Listen

by kirogaraii



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: Developing Friendships, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hatoful Boyfriend Ship Week 2019, M/M, Prompt Fill: Time, btw this is the mirror timeline!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-27 03:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20941379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirogaraii/pseuds/kirogaraii
Summary: After the students and teachers head back home for the day, Kazuaki realizes that he’s left alone in the Faculty Room with none other than the fluffy heretic himself. He uses this opportunity to chat with Shuu, and discovers a very interesting secret about him.





	I Will Listen

**Author's Note:**

> (spoiler warning for... Moby Dick)

Just like the clouds in the pristinely blue sky above, the school day passed by excruciatingly slow. For the students alone, the hours must’ve seemed long enough. Some seemed sluggish and exhausted, and some blasted out of the school’s front gate like chased-down prisoners, when the bell rang it’s low melody, signaling the school’s end. They parted ways from that point on, some choosing to work after school, and some heading home to relax.

But despite the students’ disappearance from St. Pigeonations’ hallways, despite the haunting silence that now filled the towering building’s wings, the inside still brimmed with it’s invisible life.

During those last hours of daylight, the teachers and workers continue the same routines they’d do even if the students were present.

Numbers, stacks, graphs, characters, letters, computers, and pens... The sound of worn-out adults typing away in silence echoed through Staff-Only rooms.

“Have you tried the biscuits? They’re really good.” A fowl whispers to another, and the other replies with a nod and “Oh I haven’t, thank you.”

The smell of powdered espresso, the sound of boiling water drizzling down into thick mugs, then stirred with little silver spoons. This truly is the setting of an adult workplace.

But before you know it, one after another over the course of an hour, the quiet barely-moving birds disappear from the room, and you are left alone.

“It’s time I head back home...” Uzune gave his friend a pat on the shoulder and smiled. There was a tray in his hand, wrapped in shiny aluminum foil. “I’m bringing most of the cake back for the kids, but I left you a small bit.”

Nanaki smiled and whispered back, “Oh, thank yo-“

“Don’t eat it until you’re done with work, alright? Use it as motivation to finish.”

Uzune raised an eyebrow, and left shortly after. The door slid shut for the last time.

That must’ve been his last companion. The last living soul roaming this scary huge academy… Except for that maintenance worker, his name was One. Nanaki barely considered him a co-worker though, chances are he’s never even seen him yet.

Before him stood his desk. It differed from everyone else just by the fact that stacks of papers on it piled up higher and higher each week. Colorful folders, stick-on notes with information that he was bound to forget anyway. And a cup of coffee, with just enough sugar and milk to make his heart race dangerously after a few sips.

It was difficult to work in these conditions. Near impossible, even. But what was Professor Nanaki supposed to do? Clean it up? Where should he even start?

Maybe he should start with his work computers’ desktop. Or his laptop’s desktop. Just to avoid touching the real world surroundings...

Kazuaki breathed in, and barely muffled his sneeze into a cuff. “Aah...” he muttered weakly and sniffed.

But then came another one, and Kazuaki sniffed again. Could it be dust? Or is he getting sick?

He dug frantically in the piles of trash on his desk in search of his own pack of tissues, growing aware of the gross bacteria leaking down his nose.

Gross, so gross. He whined sheepishly and stood up to get the tissues on the other side of the room, when out of nowhere he heard a voice.

“Here.”

Kazuaki flinched, at the ominously dark voice from the seemingly-empty room. The snotty blond turned around to see a figure reach out to him, with a tissue in hand, just the next row behind him.

“D-Doctor?! W-What! When did you appear here?!”

Doctor Iwamine’s cold demeanor didn’t change. It never really did, Kazuaki imagined. He sat so idly by his desk, with one hand still on the keyboard, that Kazuaki couldn’t fathom how he didn’t hear the other working at all until now.

“I’m here since several hours now, professor. I thought you noticed.” Shuu explained flatly, “But It seems I overestimated you.”

“O-Oh.”

Kazuaki sniffed one more time, quickly reached out for the tissue, and blew his nose into it.

“...Thank you,” he mumbled, placing the tissue ball to his collection on his own desk.

“...I-I’ve never seen you work anywhere except the infirmary...So I got scared...”

“I often work in the school labs as well. But it’s true, I tend to keep my work mostly in the infirmary. I only came here to retrieve some... _ data _, from this computer,” Shuu sighed at the plain, a bit outdated computer monitor, “But it’s taking longer than expected.”

“...Mhm, I see... I don’t really like working here either...” Kazuaki sat back down, turning away from the other, “I get nervous when there’s many people around and can’t focus on working...”

At that, Shuu’s voice seemed to soften into a murmur.. “...That is true for me as well.”

His focus returned to the computer at his own desk, followed by an awkward silence.

To co-exist in this secluded room with the scariest person in the entire school, that sure was unsettling to the quail. But Kazuaki would be a liar, if he said that the terrifying rumors of Shuu Iwamine’s hauntings in the school actually shied him away from the doctor.

If anything, it only made the doctor more of a fascinating personality.

(Everything about him is so creepy, even when he’s simply handing Kazuaki a tissue...)

And that is so... so inspiring! Kazuaki felt his inner writer instincts brim inside of him on the same level as his general anxiety. So that’s a lot!

Usually accompanied by Uzune between them, the doctor never struck Kazuaki as especially friendly. Just like Hitori, and probably everyone at school, he’s disappointed in Kazuaki’s incompetence and whining.

...And now, he is with the scary doctor, whom he’s only talked to scarcely until now

They’ve never been alone in a room like this...

This seems like a perfect opportunity, but... Kazuaki is so bad at starting conversations.

Cautiously, he took a look to the right, and to the left, and scratched his neck. Over his shoulder, he spotted the still-occupied doctor. He was cupping his cheek and leaning against the desk, violet eyes reading a wall of text on the invisible screen.

It won’t hurt to try, right...?

“Ahh~” Kazuaki stretched out his arms, only to hunch over the stack of homework in front of him again.

“...Hey, Iwamine, do you like English literature?” he asked louder, hoping to actually catch the doctor’s attention again.

Shuu sighed through gritted teeth, “Are you trying to distract both of us from doing our work?”

Kazuaki’s heart and soul shattered, but upon recovering, he looked over his shoulder with glossy eyes. “N-...Maybe...”

Shuu shot a quick semi-judgmental glance at Kazuaki, promptly returning to his monitor.

“...That depends on the genre. A language is only a language, I suppose.”

“Do you like Moby Dick?” Kazuaki said quickly, “Ahaha, I-I’m doing a project with my class about it... It’s such a pretty book... English sounds so poetic, the Japanese translation can hardly do it justice...”

“‘Pretty’? Is there anything ‘pretty’ about a bunch of human men, venturing out to take made-up-revenge on a whale, only to fail miserably in the end?”

Shuu replied with that same coldness as usual, but to Kazuaki it seemed like he was almost offended.

“If anything, their demise is the only righteous moral of the story. If not a bit underwhelming. For their repeated stupidity, there are plenty of wonderfully gruesome things that could’ve happened to them.”

Kazuaki opened his mouth, but Shuu continued without even glancing up from his documents,

“Besides... I do not see the point in treating such a false story as something worth teaching at schools. It’s a fantasy that ends up presenting itself as authenticity, and therefore, many people end up believing that sperm whales are actually bloodthirsty for bird and human, or capable of holding personal grudges. It’s the same kind of stupidity that led to humans’ hatred of sharks, and even wasps, really.

Yes... Moby Dick might be an interesting study of the English language and writing, but the story itself is about as enlightening as sitting on a train and eavesdropping on passerby’s talking about their personal life.”

Concluded with a blurt,

“...But what do I know about ‘the arts’. I’m just a doctor.”

Kazuaki stared dumbfounded. Still catching up with the entirety of that rant, his mouth gaped. He wasn’t sure if he ever heard the doctor express such strong insight about something, let alone about books. Sharks, wasps? What?

Laughing nervously, Kazuaki was thoroughly amazed for getting such a reaction from Shuu Iwamine himself.

...Shuu caught on to Kazuaki’s silence, and finally directed his eyes right at him.

“Ah, is that not the answer you were hoping to hear? I am sorry to disappoint.”

“No no no!” Kazuaki defended quickly with a smile, “That’s... That’s a very good opinion- I-I mean not, not good but... So thoughtful! Waa~! I did not expect Doctor Iwamine to be so passionate about, um...”

“Cachalots?”

“C-Cachalots?”

“That is another name for the sperm whale.”

“Y-Yes!”

“The latin name is _ Physeter macrocephalus _, I believe... I could be wrong, though...”

“You’re so educated... Ah! I could use your trivia for my class tomorrow... I’m sure the students would love to learn such interesting things...” Kazuaki ran a hand through his hair and laughed.

“...Um, doctor! Could you tell me more? I’ll write it down...!” Kazuaki tugged a notebook from beneath the piles on his desk and gave Shuu a begging smile.

Shuu stared at the other with the same unfazed expression as always. He eyed the notebook, and then the man holding it, and his stupid big teary eyes.

“...Tell you more?” the doctor asked slowly, as if that was the first time he’s ever heard anyone say it. “...Marine biology isn’t exactly my most primary suit, anymore.”

“Anymore?” Kazuaki began to write something down already, much to Shuu’s surprise. He didn’t even say anything about whales yet.

“Were you a marine biologist before?”

“...Not professionally. Before working here, I was a pathologist... I cut up corpses.” Shuu halted himself, then squinted, “Nanaki, are you interviewing me?”

Kazuaki hummed instead of responding. With a sneaky little grin, he looked up from his page to a somewhat concerned Shuu,

“I was just curious~” he thought for a second, before asking again, “...Oh! I always wondered why sperm whales are called that!”

“Mhm, that’s easy.”

Shuu sighed once more and finally decided to cap his pen. Momentarily, giving up on getting his work done. Apparently this is his way of showing consent. He sat back in his chair and stared up into the ceiling.

“The word “sperm” derives from “Spermaceti” which is the substance from which sperm whale oil is created. The organ is located in the animal’s giant swollen-seeming head. In the times where Moby Dick takes place, the sailors hunt whales to obtain that exact oil. Humans have had many uses for it, from candles to perfume.

One whale might have as much as... I think, two thousand liters of it, in their organ.”

In the short pause once Shuu stopped talking, he heard the hasty sound of Kazuaki’s writing. “That’s really gross, but I heard that whale oil is healthy once...”

“Sperm oil differs vastly from other whale oil.” Shuu interrupted with a faint smile on his face, “Whale oil, or train oil, could be used to make oil lamps, or even margarine. But I believe you’re thinking about fish oil. And as we know, whales aren’t fish. Fish oil is legal, and more commonly used as a vitamin supplement. I do own fish oil tablets in the infirmary, they’re helpful for-”

“Waa~ slow down~” Kazuaki whined quietly. After a few nervous seconds and frantic noting, he then affirmed Shuu with a nod. 

“...Whale oil as a whole is illegal, even now. Whales have become scarce in the world, and with the birds versus humans conflicts that have risen in the last decades, we haven’t had the time or to focus on fixing all of the humans’ mistakes when it comes to the ocean.”

The doctor sighed longingly, “...I wish I could see one of these animals upfront some day…” 

Shuu’s voice was soothing to listen to by itself. _ Unlike Kazuaki himself _ , the doctor speaks clearly, and never stutters. He always sounds completely content and confident in his knowledge... _ Unlike Kazuaki himself. _

But there was another thing that he admired about the doctor as well.

Shuu sat back in his chair and thoughtlessly gazed around the room throughout his monologue. And with this, Kazuaki took notice of his face. Though it was still frozen in a cold and unapproachable demeanor, he could notice a quiet and gentle change…

There was a certain softness to Iwamine’s expression. And even the occasional smirk every now and then seemed a lot less sadistic, or condescending than when he’d be at the infirmary.

The doctor is distracted now, behind his eyes, he must be recapping encyclopedia after encyclopedia... And Kazuaki was sure that it wasn’t because Shuu liked _ him _. With his obedience, no, eagerness to talk about this, he must be genuinely happy to speak about this topic.

Kazuaki ceased writing for a moment. Words altogether blurred away behind his ears, and instead… he admired the melody of Shuu’s smooth voice. Admired the way his long brown locks reflected the afternoon sun, forming golden strings, and the way his near-matte violet eyes... are staring right at him,

“...Are you listening, professor?”

“What!!”

Kazuaki shrieked as if he’d just been woken up from a nap.

“...You stopped taking notes five minutes ago. Did I just explain to you the health benefits of fish oil for nothing?”

Shuu had a displeased look on his face now. After Kazuaki did nothing but glare dumbly at him, the doctor scoffed, stiffened in his seat, and returned his focus to the screen in front of him.

“N-No, wait! Iwaminee!” Kazuaki cried, guilt inside him skyrocketed immediately, “No no, I’m not ignoring you! I-I did listen, you said that it’s a vitamin supplement, right? O-Omega-3-or-something?”

But the doctor had already hidden himself behind the large monitor. He grouched something under his breath;

“...I understand. It’s not as interesting to you as it is to me. I got carried away on a topic that would be of no use to your project.”

Dumbfounded, but mostly ashamed Kazuaki stammered over his words. Tears were already building up in his eyes,

“It’s... I-It is... Interesting! I don’t just wanna ask you about things for my class...

I thought that, that you’d enjoy talking about what you like...” He cried, “D-Do you dislike talking about sea life? I’m so sorry!”

The room became quiet for a few seconds, until Shuu responded quietly,

“...No, I don’t dislike it, but... Why are you saying that? Why do you care about what I like and do not?”

“Because...”

Kazuaki caught himself starting off too quickly. He bit his tongue... When was the last time he’s ever gotten so defensive about someone? Usually he’d cower and cry, threaten to kill himself out of guilt and wait another month before looking Shuu in the eyes again, but…

That what Shuu said just now... It sounded so uncharacteristic to him as well. Was it shyness?

A strange feeling of desperate determination built up inside Kazuaki.

The quail put his notebook aside, and instead spun around on his chair to face the other head on... more or less. He wheel’d away from his desk, and instead bumped into the desk row behind him where Shuu was seated.

“Because you... you looked so _ happy _!”

Shuu flinched when Kazuaki’s hand suddenly landed right next to his keyboard.

He turned his head away to avoid the other’s gaze.

“...U-Um... I mean... I want to... I want to get to know you better! Iwamine, and if talking about fish and whales makes you happy, then... I am more than glad to let you talk to your heart's content, and...”

He wasn’t sure where he was going with that. Sweat began to form behind his bangs, but Kazuaki tried his best to not cancel everything he’s built up and run out crying.

More importantly, he’s gotten carried away too, with his lame attempt at fixing the conversation... Shuu still was giving him the cold shoulder, and Kazuaki wasn’t sure if he should give up or not.

That was until, the doctor finally spoke again.

His voice was quiet, and unsure of himself. Unnaturally, Shuu mumbled to the floor beneath them.

“...You’re going out of your way to avoid finishing your work to go home quickly, just to listen to me talk whilst not absorbing anything, because you think it makes me happy?”

Kazuaki stopped breathing for a second, terrified that he’ll pick the wrong dialogue option. Finally, he affirmed Shuu with a strong “Mhm!”

Silence fell upon the two men again. It hung above them dangerously, until slowly, Shuu turned his face to Kazuaki.

“...The mind boggles.”

Iwamine’s cheeks were warm, with a red tint that Kazuaki has never seen on him before. Shuu was flustered, clearly struggling to keep a completely unfazed look.

Kazuaki’s mouth gaped slightly at the unexpected sight, but quickly enough, he felt warmth raise up to his own face as well.

“D-Does that mean you’re not mad?”

“...I’m not mad.”

Shuu answered calmly, his eyes wandered down to the documents that Kazuaki thoughtlessly leant against with his elbows.

“...I will be, if you crinkle those.”

“Ah! I’m sorryy!” Kazuaki quickly pulled away and hugged himself out of reflex. There was another pause.

The bashfulness on Shuu’s expression hadn’t eased. In fact, with each taunting second between them, he seemed more and more uneasy.

There was something he wanted to say, but couldn’t get out.

The Shuu Iwamine who would usually stand up and walk away as soon as things became inconvenient for him, felt frozen to his seat, and nervously tangled the hairs of his long side-bangs.

“...No one’s ever expressed such… assertiveness to listen.” Shuu continued slowly. “You’re a very, strange bird, Nanaki.”

He forced his lip to curl into a pitiful smirk,

“...I didn’t take you for someone who’d enjoy… The mad ramblings of a sleep-deprived forensic pathologist, hohoho.”

“...W-Well then… I hope I surprised you…!” Kazuaki commented sheepishly, discreetly wiping an annoying tear from his eye.

“And I hope you’re not actually losing sleep!”

But just a moment later, a smile formed on the easily-assured Kazuaki’s face.

“Would you, would you like to keep going?”

A murmur emitted from Shuu’s throat. Apparently a signal for ‘alright’.

He prepped up on an elbow against his desk and cupped his own, still reddish, but slowly cooling face.

“...What do you want to know?”

Kazuaki stretched out behind him to grab the notebook again, and excitedly settled down on the opposite side of Shuu’s desk, keeping in mind the doctor’s so-valuable documents.

“Yay~ H-How about-...”

He began. And so, the two of them lost track of time yet again.

This time too, Shuu glided from topic to topic, but remained in unusually high energy for almost all of it. Soon enough, he began to gesture with his hands, and even lost his voice at some point.

Kazuaki had to giggle when Shuu paused to take a sip of long-cold coffee as to not dry out.

“What’s so funny?” Shuu asked. “Wah!! No, it’s not funny! I’m, uh... Happy that you’re happy!”

Kazuaki defended himself and flailed around.

“...I see.”

Shuu took notice of the fact, that Kazuaki continued to note down things that weren’t even related to Moby Dick in the slightest.

But... Maybe straying off the topic of the book was the quail’s goal in the first place.

He paid it no mind, and assured himself that if this is what Kazuaki wants, then he doesn’t have a reason to not come along.

* * *

Neither of them kept the time in mind, until a bell declared the last hours of the academy’s opening.

“Ah.”

The sun outside was no longer illuminating the room with white warm rays, and instead became orange in hue. Though neither of them would’ve noticed, even the shadows themselves shifted angle for how long they’ve been chatting there. 

Professor Nanaki looked down at the new dozen pages, filled with his messy rushed handwriting of anything and everything Shuu told him.

Doctor Iwamine looked down at the folder of documents on his desk, and the little window on his screen letting him know that his files have long since transferred from one drive to the other.

“O-Oh no... Is it late?” Anxiously asked Kazuaki, and swung around to look at the analog clock far away on a wall.

“Mhm. It seems we’ve been sitting here for two and a half hours.” Shuu fidgeted with the tie around his neck, and finally finished up his work on the computer. “That is my cue to go.”

“Eh?— Oh...” Kazuaki scratched his head. He turned around to see Shuu already packing his bag. “...I guess I’ll have to finish another time~...” He chirped shyly.

“...I hope you’ll make use of... All of that—“ Shuu began but was interrupted by a series of dry coughs into his fist.

He cleared his throat discreetly, then mumbled;

“...Oh my. This must’ve been the most I talked in a long time.”

“Eheheh...” Kazuaki tilted his head, “You do sound a bit different.”

“Really?”

“I-It’s breathier than before. Oh noo... Did you lose your voice?”

Shuu stroked his own neck and evaded Kazuaki’s eyes. “...It’ll come back by tomorrow I’m sure, hoho.” he said with a hoarse tone, “Perhaps you’d like to be a sweetheart, and donate a kidney or two for my research, in exchange for all of the free lectures I’ve just given you, hm? I’d feel a lot less guilty about losing my voice then.” he spoke with a lilt, “Just a sample?”

“No!!” Kazuaki shrieked, “I don’t know much about health and stuff, but I think I’d die without two kidneys!?”

After two hours of such pleasant time with doctor Iwamine, Kazuaki had almost forgotten how the other acts as soon as he returns from his sea-heaven. Shuu continued to stare at the other with a sinister smile, and Kazuaki only sniffed with glossy eyes.

“Don’t do that faceee~! Go back to the happy Shuu that talked about sharks and dolphins!”

Like a magic spell, the smug look wiped off Shuu’s face, and was replaced by confusion. He turned away and fixed the glasses on his nose, distracting them from the pink on his cheeks. “...Well, you’re certainly no fun.”

Shuu’s posture sunk back down to his low-energy persona. He returned to packing up his documents, and neatened up the placement of pens and markers on his desk before shutting off the computer once and for all. That seemed to be the end of their conversation, until Kazuaki cleared his throat to catch his attention again.

“What?” Shuu asked without looking up.

Kazuaki impatiently poked the doctor’s arm, prompting him to finally look his way.

His eyes met with a small brownie square right in front of him on the desk. Kazuaki pushed the paper plate even closer to Shuu. “...H-Here! How about this? It sure is… a _ sample _!” he chirped sweetly, hiding his embarrassment behind a beige scarf.

Shuu eyed the piece of cake and then the vaguely-masked Kazuaki. Knitting eyebrows from internal conflict.

“...Well…” he raised an eyebrow, “...It’s not as exciting as a body part sample...”

But rest assured, he gave the other an affirming nod, “...I’ll accept it.”

Kazuaki beamed and squeaked something behind his scarf. Shuu only put the cake ‘sample’ aside for now, deciding that he’ll carry it to the infirmary in hand.

“...U-Um… See you, Iwamine-kun!”

Kazuaki’s voice reached Shuu in the doorstep for one more time. He looked over his shoulder, “...See you, Nanaki.” 

“I-It was nice, um, talking to you. I hope we can do this again some...time?” He peeped. All the partridge said in return, was another peaceful hum. “Me...too.”

The Faculty Room door slid shut for the last-last time. Kazuaki sighed. His eyes wandered lazily to his own desk, still as dirty as before, and if anything, he generated more documents to sort rather than get them done. If he could, he would’ve burst into pathetic crying immediately, but…

There was something that held him back. The sheets of lined notebook paper in his hands stared back at him. Many of these things, he will gladly use for his class. But most of it… He noted for his own reference.

_ Iwamine-kun’s favorite marine mammal is the orca, hm? _

Kazuaki smiled, knowing that he learned something very new about his co-worker. Perhaps, even something that no one ever knew about Shuu before.

And with this warmth in his chest, he neatened up his desk, and sat down to finish this homework once and for all.

_ Nanaki-kun’s favorite marine mammal is the harp seal, hm? _

He wasn’t surprised that that would be his choice. The pups of those animals are covered in fluffy white fur, and Kazuaki always seemed to fawn over the small, fluffy, pretty things around him. That’s an observation he made of Kazuaki Nanaki very early on.

Shuu smiled, and put the rest of the brownie in his mouth. He worked amongst the white infirmary walls till the late of the night…

Feeling more at peace than usual.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Thank you very much for reading! I’ve recently fallen more and more in love with the idea of Shuu exhibiting autistic traits, and marine biology being his secret hyperfixation that he’s never had the chance to go off about... Kazuaki-kun is so wonderful and patient, isn’t he? I hope you enjoyed this!  
Perhaps some of you even learned something about whales as well ww
> 
> This is the first fanfic I’ve ever published, so I’m open to criticism! ^q^


End file.
